TOMS RIVER (OPINION) – Toms River Mayor Maurice “Mo” Hill has hit his limit on exactly how far he would go to accommodate his close political allies in the Orthodox Jewish community, but he said his relationship with them recently has gotten a bit too comfortable.
Hill accused leaders of the Toms River Jewish Community Council of trying to strong-arm him into firing township employees, further lessen zoning laws, and circumvent state law. All are serious allegations that could even cross the line of criminality if true.
He also accused an obscure election opponent, Geri Ambrosio, of taking those alleged bribes in exchange for an endorsement.
But few people believe the legitimacy of Hill’s claims today, believing it to be nothing more than election ruse to distract voters away from his own past.
The relationship between Hill and the Toms River Jewish Community Council started like peas and carrots. Hill needed votes to become mayor, and the growing Jewish community needed a guy in town hall who would listen to their needs and sway town officials to fulfill those needs.
Mo Hill was the huckleberry they were looking for.
Apparently, even Mo Hill has limits on how far he would go for a vote, but according to Hill, Ambrosio doesn’t. Now, the two are in a fierce head-to-head battle over the 600 or so ‘bloc’ votes in the growing Jewish community in Toms River.
In his four years in office, Hill agreed to lower zoning for houses of worship, lessen code restrictions, push for high-density housing, and be the spokesperson for the plight of the Jewish community in Jackson.
But, he said, has his limits, especially during an election cycle where he’s being accused of catering to special interests in exchange for votes.
Now, Hill is accusing his close allies on the Toms River VAAD of trying to extort and bribe him.
“There have been unreasonable demands made by TRJCC leadership regarding building permits and code violations,” Hill said in a release. “TRJCC leaders have threatened the jobs of Township employees who did not cede to their demands and have asked that those employees be terminated.”
Today, we reached out to Art Gallagher, Mo Hill’s public information officer and political campaign strategist.
When asked if the allegations were presented to the prosecutor’s office, Gallagher declined to comment.
Now, Hill is accusing Ambrosio of stealing his thunder, promising the TRJCC that she would pick up where Hill left off.
“I don’t know what Ms. Ambrosio and her allies have promised to get the TRJCC endorsement. I do know what I will not do to get it,” Hill said. Those allies include Ocean County GOP Chairman George Gilmore, who is being accused of supporting Ambrosio behind the scenes.
Today, in response to the news, many in Toms River feel the latest news is nothing more than a thinly-veiled attempt to muddy the political waters in Toms River. Ambrosio and Gilmore have been accused of running a third-party candidate in an attempt to spoil the election for front-runner Dan Rodrick.
One thing is certain, the TRJCC leadership is not endorsing Rodrick, and the GOP establishment sees Rodrick as a threat to their ambitions to use Downtown Toms River and Ciba Geigy as a future development cash cow.
Another thing that is certain is that while Hill’s condemnation of Ambrosio creates a confusion with voters, most will not be voting for him in June. Hill would have to pull off a miracle in order to win the upcoming election.
In a sense, his bed has been made and the door to the bedroom has been locked. There’s almost no way for Hill to cozy up to voters who do not trust him, let alone get them to change their minds just five weeks ahead of the election.